Earlier this week, the company announced plans to release the apps this weekend, but there’s been uncertainty since the Android version didn’t arrive at 7:00 am EST as scheduled. The iOS version was set for Sunday September 22.

This move is really a last throw of the dice from struggling BlackBerry, which long resisted calls to bring BBM to other platforms, preferring keep it exclusive to its own devices, in the hope of creating customer loyalty.

BlackBerry and Samsung have been pushing BBM hard in Africa — where BlackBerry smartphones remain popular, and the app could be significant for Samsung. The release is unlikely to impact other markets, where BlackBerry’s once-dominant market share continues to plummet — and that includes Asia.

Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. While we only ever write about products we think deserve to be on the pages of our site, The Next Web may earn a small commission if you click through and buy the product in question.